Tequila

by Toppen, Melissa

  “Oh I did.” He gives me a heated look. “But this,” he gestures to my attire. “This is much more you.”

  “Well, you’re not wrong there.” I shrug my shoulders, not really sure what to say.

  “You wanna take a walk?” He reaches for my hand, squeezing my fingers the minute he grabs it.

  “Yeah, I’d like that.” I turn toward Emma who already has the Tequila bottle extended to me.

  “We’ll be back.” I smile, snagging the bottle from her hand.

  “No rush.” She winks, shooing me away before I can say more.

  “Tequila it is.” I hold the bottle up and give it a little shake once we’ve walked several feet from where our friends are.

  “Considering you’ve been forcing it down my throat all night, a little more shouldn’t hurt.”

  “I did not force anything.” I nudge my shoulder against his.

  “If you say so.” He chuckles, reaching over to snag the bottle away from me with his free hand.

  “Hey!” I object.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll save some for you,” he teases, dropping my hand so he can open the bottle.

  “You better. I’m parched,” I say dramatically.

  “I have to admit, I’m pretty impressed by how well you can handle your liquor. I’ve known girls who could drink as much as you have. But never ones that could walk a straight line afterward.”

  “Maybe because I haven’t actually drank that much,” I offer.

  “Five cosmos and three shots of tequila, and that’s not counting anything before you forced your friendship on me.” He smiles, taking a swift drink of tequila before extending the bottle to me.

  “Forced my friendship on you.” I chuckle. “As I recall I saved you from dying of thirst.”

  “Is that what happened?” He cocks his head to the side, his eyes dancing with humor as he watches me take a long gulp of tequila.

  “Not only that, but I also endured your dancing all night when no other girl was willing to take one for the team.”

  “Is that how you saw it?”

  “Yep.” I shrug, taking another drink before shoving the bottle back into his hands. “Way I see it you owe me a huge thank you.”

  “Do I now?” He laughs, taking another long gulp.

  “You do. Question is, how do you plan to repay me?” I take a full step closer, waiting until he’s screwed the cap back on the tequila before grabbing it from his hands and dropping it in the sand at our feet.

  “How do you want me to repay you?” He swallows hard when my fingers grip his shirt, pulling his body flush with mine.

  “I can think of a few ways.” I push up on my toes, nipping at the flesh below his jaw.

  “Lennon,” he warns, his voice thick.

  “What?” I question innocently, my lips sweeping across the base of his throat. “You don’t like this?” I flick my tongue across his Adam’s apple.

  “I think maybe I like it a little too much.” He swallows against my lips.

  “Mmm,” I hum against his skin. “Come on. There’s something I want to do.” I smile, taking a full step back.

  I have my jeans half way down my legs when Hudson seems to realize I’m undressing.

  “What are you doing?” he asks, mildly amused.

  “What does it look like I’m doing? I’m going swimming.” I toss my jeans at his head, missing him by a good six inches.

  “Now?”

  “Have you never gone swimming at night?” I ask, grabbing the hem of my sweater and peeling it up.

  “Not in the ocean.” His eyes flicker to my body when I toss my sweater in the sand next to my jeans.

  Normally I wouldn’t be so bold, but since I’m only partially visible in the darkness of the beach I don’t shrink under his gaze. Besides, my matching black panty and bra set are no more revealing than the array of bikinis I’ve worn over the years.

  “Well, there’s no time like the present.” I plant my hands firmly on my hips. “Now, are you gonna stand there gawking at me all night or are you gonna take off your clothes.”

  “I knew it. You’re just trying to get me naked.” He laughs, his eyes twinkling under the moonlight.

  “So what if I am?” I quip. “Do you give all the ladies this much trouble? If so, I’m starting to understand why you were sitting alone at the bar tonight.”

  “Who says I was alone? Maybe I blew her off when you came along.” With that he reaches for the buckle of his jeans.

  My breath hitches in my throat, watching his large hand slide the zipper downward.

  “You’re so full of it,” I recover, making sure my eyes stay on his face as he steps out of his pants.

  “Am I?” he teases, sliding his t-shirt over his head.

  Taking the brief moment when the material is covering his face, I glance at what was under his clothing. I don’t get to look long, but it’s long enough to see he’s got a killer body; broad chest, defined abs, thick muscular thighs. It’s impossible not to look at other areas as well but because his boxer briefs are black and it’s dark out, I don’t get a very good glimpse.

  When my eyes come back to his face it’s clear I’ve been busted. Not really sure what else to do and feeling like I might die of embarrassment at any moment, I quickly turn and take off toward the water.

  The waves no more than reach my feet when I’m lifted from behind and twisted in midair, somehow finding myself slung over Hudson’s shoulder.

  “What are you doing?” I squeal, the words riddled with laughter.

  “What does it look like I’m doing?” He laughs, the action rumbling through him as he treks deeper in the water.

  “Hudson, I swear to god if you throw me in this water there will be serious repercussions,” I warn.

  “Serious repercussions?” He laughs harder. “What am I, ten?”

  “Right now you’re kind of acting like it, yes.” I swat at his ass which happens to be just out of reach.

  “Hey, you said you wanted to go swimming. So baby, let’s go swimming.” That’s the last thing I hear before Hudson shifts and I’m airborne, cold water engulfing me seconds later.

  The water has quite a bite to it but it’s not unbearable. Even still, when I resurface the cool night air sends a tremble through me.

  “You. Asshole.” I push my hair out of my face to see a laughing Hudson a couple feet from me.

  “I’m sorry, but you asked for that.”

  “How did I ask for it?” I hold my arms out for dramatic effect.

  “Kissing all over my neck like that, stripping down to almost nothing right in front of me. You’re purposely fucking with me, Lennon. So, I found it only fair to return the favor.”

  “Oh you think you’re so smart.” I jump toward him but he quickly moves to the side. “Fine,” I huff. “You want to play that way.” I reach around and expertly unsnap my bra, pulling the straps down my arms before he realizes what I’m doing.

  The second it registers his eyes lock on my chest and stay there for several seconds before his now dark gaze hits my face.

  “You really shouldn’t have done that,” he says, his voice deep and gravelly.

  “Well I did. Your move.”

  He’s on me in seconds, his arms closing around my backside as he effortlessly lifts me from the water. I wrap my legs around his waist, tangling my fingers in his hair.

  “Good choice,” I whisper against his mouth, pressing my lips firmly to his.

  Before I know it we are tangled tongues and ragged breaths. The water knocks Hudson backward a few steps every time a wave rolls in, but not once does it break his concentration.

  His lips are on my lips, then my cheek, my jaw, down the side of my neck, nipping at the flesh below my ear.

  His hands slide across my wet back, exploring the feel of my skin beneath his palms, blazing a trail of heat everywhere they touch.

  Hudson handles me like he can read my mind, like he knows exactly what I want. So when his hand slides betwee
n us, and over the fabric of my thin panties, I’m ready for it. But no matter how ready I thought I was, nothing could have prepared me for the explosion that seems to go off inside of me the moment his fingers glide under the material and touch me for the first time.

  “Hudson.” I drop my head back on a moan, loving the way his expert fingers glide along the sensitive flesh.

  “Let me take you upstairs.” He growls against my throat, sliding one finger inside of me.

  “Hudson.” I whimper again when he inserts a second finger.

  “Upstairs, Lennon,” he almost demands.

  Straightening my posture, I look down, meeting his heated gaze.

  “Okay.”

  I barely get the word out before Hudson withdraws his hand and carries me from the water. We’re only a few feet in, so it doesn’t take him long to reach the shore. Depositing me on my feet next to our clothing, he quickly slides my sweater over my head seconds after I’ve managed to snap my soaked bra back on.

  Getting my pants on is an even harder story, but somehow I manage to peel the material up my wet legs. Hudson dresses in record time and the second I’m situated, he grabs my hand and tugs me up the beach toward my condo building.

  It feels like it takes an eternity and yet no time at all to reach the elevator in the parking garage. Hudson tucks me into his side, his hand skirting lightly along my hip as we wait for the doors to open.

  I feel like I’m going to crawl out of my own skin by the time the lift finally arrives.

  Hudson hurries me inside, watching me press the fifth floor button, his eyes hot on the side of my face. The doors have barely slid closed behind us before Hudson is on me again, pinning me to the elevator wall as his mouth once again closes down on mine.

  He kisses me in a way that no one has ever kissed me before. I feel it all the way down to the tips of my toes and back up again.

  I barely register the elevator stopping or the sound of the doors reopening. All I know is that when Hudson kisses me I don’t ever want him to stop.

  “God,” he groans, forcing himself to step away from me.

  “Come on.” I grab his hand and practically drag him into the hallway, thanking the heavens my unit is just feet away.

  We barely make it through the front door when we collide together, hands everywhere, mouths connected, the sounds of our desperation filtering through the space.

  I don’t know how I manage to get Hudson back to my bedroom. One minute we’re in the living room, the next he’s pressing me against the back of my bedroom door. Clothes are torn away with reckless abandon, both of our patience long since evaporated.

  I don’t even realize we’ve moved until Hudson is depositing me onto the bed. I squint into the dark room, only able to see his silhouette in the dim light that’s seeping in under the door.

  I hear the rustle of fabric and the rip of a condom wrapper seconds before Hudson crawls up my body. I hold my breath, trying to anticipate his next move.

  He starts at my knee, his lips brushing gently against my skin as he kisses his way upward. Slowing when he reaches my hip, he nips along the bone and dips down, running his tongue upward along my seam in one quick movement.

  I’ve barely recovered before his mouth moves to my lower belly as he continues his path upward. His lips graze the side of my breast, his tongue sliding along my nipple before moving to my neck.

  He nips and licks the flesh until he reaches my mouth, pausing as he settles his body between my legs.

  “Are you sure?” he asks, his lips hovering just above mine.

  The question is oddly sweet. I reach up to cup his face in my hands, pulling his mouth back to mine. This must be the reassurance he’s looking for because seconds later he fills me with one powerful thrust.

  The intensity of being consumed by him so sudden and so complete, causes me to cry out, the sound of my voice that of a complete stranger. He stills the moment he’s planted inside of me, letting my body accommodate to him as his mouth moves against mine.

  But when he starts to move, his actions are anything but gentle; thrusting in and out of me so hard that our bodies smack together, the sound echoing off the walls around us. My body teeters between pain and pleasure, the combination leaving me feeling almost dizzy.

  I’m drunk on Hudson. Intoxicated by his beauty, his smell, the way his body feels against me, inside of me.

  Digging my nails into his back, I tighten my grip as I feel my hold slipping. It’s only been a couple of minutes and already I’m climbing. The pleasure coursing through me is enough to leave me disoriented and desperate. I grind against him, the feeling of him tight against my walls only dragging me closer and closer upward with each pull until finally, I can’t hold on any longer.

  I explode around him, biting down on his shoulder in an attempt to muffle my cries. My body quakes, pulsing in a steady rhythm as I tremble in his arms. This seems to break what little control he has left.

  Pulling out, Hudson flips me in one quick movement before driving into me from behind. He goes so deep I swear I can feel him in my stomach, but that doesn’t stop me from pushing backward, meeting him thrust for thrust.

  His fingers dig into my hips so tightly I know I’ll bruise. I claw at the sheets, cry out his name, feeling so overwhelmed by him that I have no control over the things spilling from my mouth.

  My second orgasm builds at an even faster rate than the first. It rips through me so quickly I have no time to brace myself, my entire body shuddering as I struggle to keep my weight up on my arms.

  Hudson’s body goes rigid behind me as he chases his own release. His calculated, controlled thrusts are suddenly more wild and chaotic than before. A deep groan tears from his throat seconds before he spills his release.

  After several seconds he starts to slow his movements, dragging two more deep pulls inside my body before finally stilling. Collapsing down onto my back, he buries his head into the crook of my neck as he struggles to catch his breath.

  “That was...” he starts, pressing his lips to my bare shoulder.

  “Incredible,” I finish his sentence, whimpering when he pulls out and stands.

  Rolling to my back, I watch his silhouette as he crosses toward the door, jarring it open just enough for light to spill into the room.

  “There’s a trash can right there.” I point next to my desk, realizing what he’s looking for.

  Watching him roll the condom off and drop it in the trash can is way more erotic than I ever thought possible. The way his hand slides along his still hard erection has me biting my bottom lip to keep myself from moaning at the sight of him.

  Reaching over to close the bedroom door, it’s only seconds before he’s climbing back into the bed with me. Rolling to his back, he pulls me into the crook of his arm where I’m able to nestle my head against his chest.

  “You are full of surprises, Lennon Claire.” I hear the smile in his voice as he presses his lips to the top of my head.

  “I guess the fact that you remember my full name is a good sign. Means I did something right,” I tease, my fingers running slow circles across his broad chest.

  “You did a lot of things right.” He chuckles, shifting so I’m forced to roll onto my back seconds before his sweet weight settles on top of me. “The first thing being this.” He leans down and kisses me deep, my body instantly stirring back to life.

  “Sweetest mouth I’ve ever tasted,” he mumbles against my lips before dropping his face to my neck. “And this.” He breathes in deeply. “Best smell in the entire world.” His hand trails slowly up my side. “Softest skin I’ve ever felt.” His lips are on mine again, his tongue sliding along the seam of my mouth.

  “I’m gathering you have a thing for my body,” I whisper against his lips, loving every second of this.

  “You’re gathering right.” He deepens the kiss as he starts to harden against my thigh.

  “Well, Mr. Nashville, you better get your fill considering tonight is all you get
.”

  “Oh I plan to,” he promises. “But first, I want something else.” With that he starts to work his way down my body, not stopping until his face is nestled between my thighs.

  Chapter Three

  After two very intense rounds of lovemaking, Hudson and I have spent the last hour lying in my bed talking. At almost six in the morning, it’s clear that neither of us is ready to close the book on this incredible night.

  Emma and Colton came in sometime during round two, but I was too preoccupied to really note the time. Considering the condo has been pretty silent since, I’m guessing they crashed quickly. Emma doesn’t have it in her to be quiet during, well, you know. We’ve lived together long enough that I know how loud she gets. Although I think tonight I may have given her a run for her money in the noise department.

  I can’t remember a time where a sexual experience has felt anything like this. I mean yes, I’ve had good sex and even better orgasms but nothing like tonight. Hudson took my body to a place even I didn’t know it could go.

  “So you’re a songwriter.” It’s not a question but a statement.

  Running my fingers slowly through Hudson’s incredible hair, I smile when he hums against my stomach where his head is currently resting.

  “And you get your inspiration from experiences, yes?”

  “Experiences, people, the way things make me feel.” His hand slides across my lower belly. “I get inspiration from a lot of places.”

  “So how’d I do?” I question, smiling when he lifts his head and cocks it in my direction.

  “How’d you do?” he repeats, shifting so he’s lying next to me rather than on me.

  “Yeah.” I reach out, shoving a piece of hair out of his face before my hand slides down his jaw, my nails lightly scratching across his short facial hair. “Was I song worthy?” I smile when he takes my hand from his face and turns it upward, laying a sweet kiss to my palm.

  “Song worthy.” He chuckles, releasing my hand as he props up on an elbow. His face is barely visible in the darkness of the room but I see the smile playing on his full lips. “You’re funny,” he observes.

  “I’m glad I amuse you.” I shove playfully at his shoulder.